IU Bloomington Recruitment Materials: High-Ability Brochure (“Get a Life”)

CLIENT

IU Bloomington Undergraduate Office of Admissions

CHALLENGE

The undergraduate admissions publication geared to exemplary (“high-ability”) high school students had not tested well with high school focus groups. We needed to create a new, compelling brochure to attract the best and brightest high school students to IU Bloomington.

SOLUTION

The students in our high school focus groups asked us, “What’s different about your school?” They wanted to learn about the special character of the university in a relatable, easily digestible format. They also wanted the presentation to have more energy and color. To show top students the breath of opportunities at IU Bloomington, we showcased extraordinary personalities, remarkable achievements, and things unique to our campus—such as the Lilly Library collections and visits from the Dalai Lama—in short feature stories and clever factoid call-outs. The brochure’s theme, “Get a life … get more than a degree,” targets an audience that responds to humor and a casual voice. The theme is carried throughout the brochure for each feature’s heading (“Get next to greatness” “Get published”) and is designed for an information-overloaded audience that prefers to skip from feature to feature, choosing what they want to read. The vivid design, fresh voice, and creative presentation of this 8-panel brochure show IU Bloomington as a nurturing, engaging environment for Nobel Laureates, Oscar winners, world leaders, and students who intend to make their marks on the world.